Things Gemstones and Gold Can't Give
by Kisuru-chan
Summary: Subaru finds a priest in his family's treasure chamber. He may need a little more help than Subaru is supposed to give him after he tries to steal his family's treasures, but Subaru just can't refuse him.


**A/N** : Written as a Fandom Gift Box 2017 exchange gift for cuddlycactus.

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Midnight blue, velvety wings fluttered above his head, warning signals for an intruder. Subaru had been quick to hear the call. As the only one at home, it became Subaru's responsibly to survey his family's treasure vault when he was the only one present.

Even Kamui had gone away to take care of some business. Now, Subaru idly half-wished he was there, but Kamui would lash out before asking questions. Subaru would rather see the disturbance for himself and decide whether there was anything he could do to diffuse the situation first-hand.

But it was a little daunting. In fact, he had not been in the treasure chamber for what could have years. These things happened on occasion and required attention. He just wasn't the one who normally took care of it. No thieves dared to enter unannounced unless they were true risk takers, but forest animals wandered in without being the wiser to the dangers that would trigger if they went too far inside.

And that was what Subaru expected to find. A gruff bear snarling at him would be nothing out of the blue, or a ferocious tiger baring its fangs in a trap. After all, they lived in a rather forest heavy country to shield out the sun and protect sensitive vampires from the brutal rays. Subaru loved animals, especially when they were healthy and frivolous. Getting them out of the chamber and dislodging possible traps and metal wires was another matter… but Subaru had precautions against being injured himself.

In the shadows of the chamber, a lone figure lay sprawled on a pile of gold sticks. Inky black liquid pooled in a puddle against the man's side.

Subaru winced. His eyes widened.

"Begone," Subaru told the bats hovering above him. He waved an upturned hand and motioned for them to surrender and return to their dwellings. Obedient, the bats swooped into a circle and doubled out of the chamber, fluttering back into the darkness of their cave deep within the chamber's walls.

Subaru knelt down next to the older man's side. He inspected his gloomy expression, the multiple purple, bite-sized wounds in detail. The bats had swarmed and a good bite of out of him. They left their venom in his system; several scars ran up and down the man's face and arms. Rich blood stained the black fabric of his cassock, and rips from sharp fangs left no place unattended. A gold chain around the man's neck hung off to the side and an intricate metal piece was attached to the end of it. Subaru squinted. He didn't think he recognized that piece. Perhaps that piece was the man's prized possession.

In this condition, he wouldn't last long on his own devices. Labored breathing and the slowest rise and fall of his broad chest proved that he was still alive.

Subaru didn't understand. Why break in at all?

No one was allowed inside a vampire's treasure vault. A treasure vault was a place not meant for the human eyes; the opals, rubies, and golds were far too opulent for greedy humans to feast their eyes on and understand. Humans were unable to process their magnificence and quell their selfish desires.

Effectively, vampires were doing them a solid favor. Since humans could not last against their elusive and alluring powers, vampires kept those minerals stored away for their own wealth. Sometimes that wealth was monetized but the overall mindset was to protect humans and save the world from corruption. Once upon a time, the world had been plunged in darkness before the vampires' rise because of the humans. The vampires did not relish the human downfall once again. That was the natural course of the land. The humans lived better because of it.

Subaru had been taught humans were simple-minded beings of this caliber for ages. E were not known for intelligence or upbringing, but humans were not always completely dull and lifeless creatures. He had been alive for decades, although not to live through those ancient tales. Back then, the humans had been the top dogs and ruled over the country shamelessly. Subaru had invested his faith in those passed-down documents.

He may have just had radical views. He couldn't tell.

A priest was a good profession. Priests gave council and guidance to begotten humans who had lost their way in life and gave them spiritual strength. In this case, Subaru was even more befuddled. Being from the church was a rare, noble profession for peace. I did not warrant breaking into another's home.

The man attempted to push himself to his elbows. He failed, falling back down on his back. When he realized he wasn't alone, he turned enough to spot Subaru out of the corner of his peripheral vision.

"Will you kill me?"

Taken aback at the deep voice and the odd weight of the question, Subaru blinked. He had not foreseen such a direct and honest inquiry. Nobody would ask something like that… not in a peaceful country with coexisting species. Humans hurriedly tried to cover up for their weaknesses whenever vampires approached them. But this man…

Subaru frowned. "I wouldn't…" Partly, he was too stunned to come up with a suitable response. It was too unlike him to be real. Vampires killing humans for petty reasons were punishable by law, not to mention Subaru was too gentle for that. Humans commonly were known not to be able to squash their impulses, so having forgiveness for their mortal faults was important. "Why… why do you think so?"

Shrugging, the man wasn't too concerned with Subaru's confusion. Despite his pain, his face didn't show it, remaining smooth and trained like glass.

"Stealing from vampires is forbidden, obviously. And death would be a fate fit for it," he replied to Subaru good-naturedly, raspy, tensing up nonetheless. "I asked for this all by myself. Being poisoned, I think—it's circling my blood now. As they say, everything seems to happen for a reason."

Subaru could not make heads or tails of this reaction. Talking to humans was something he never did. He had before. It wasn't often. This human being nonplussed at arriving at death's doorstep did not add up to any schema he had of them. Was the afterlife for humans that tranquil and hopeful?

"I do not want to hurt you," Subaru assured. He surveyed the man once again for confirmation. His heart hurt seeing the human so battered up no matter his intentions twenty minutes ago. "I don't… want to hurt anyone. I dislike hurting humans."

Fleeting wonderment appeared on the man's face. He clutched at his side and winced. Blood from a most vicious bite wound pooled in his hand.

"That's quite an announcement for this humble priest's ears to hear. I should be calling you with respect instead of the other way around, you know," Seishirou told him, voice heightening dramatically. He wiped the blood on his hand off on an area of fabric without bloodstains. "Subaru-sama."

Warmth blossomed in Subaru's cheeks. He didn't know how the man knew his identity without ever meeting him before. He assumed it made sense. He should know who he had been trying to thieve from. "Please don't call me that." He should graciously take the words in stride and not argue. Kamui would nod his head in appraisal and squared his solders. Such was proper for vampire-human interactions, but he didn't like to be thought of as more important than he was. No one ever called him that. In his honest opinion, he was an everyday vampire.

"No?" Amusement lacing his tone, The man's eyes closed and his body relaxed. He trembled under the weight of his pain, the twitches kept to a minimum. "Subaru-kun then. Not that it will matter soon."

Human names were far too passable. Vampires quickly forgot them because the human lifespan was significantly lower than their own. Subaru had a feeling he would remember this human's name. So he asked, voice firm though breathless. The man opened his amber eyes and inspected him. He hesitated before answering. Subaru tried to ignore the disbelief in his tone and memorized the word.

"Seishi… Seishirou-san." Subaru tasted the words. Each syllable tasted sweeter than the purest blood he had ever sampled from the innocent woodland animals. Seishirou did not respond to his name being called, and Subaru fumbled for a conversation topic, diving for another tact. His biggest observation would never sated until he understood him a bit. "Seishirou-san. Do you… Do you want to live?"

A deafening pause closed the gap between them. Seishirou considered this, humming. "My life's direction seems to be decided. I chose this path."

Subaru's heart fell into his stomach. He wasn't sure why. That particular confession made him… sad?

The silence droned on for a few minutes. It was a companionable silence, and Subaru's jittery nerves eased at Seishirou's presence. Even at those times when he had met with humans before, none of those encounters had been like this. Seishirou somehow set his heart into a blaze and his chest tighten at the reminder… it rendered him off-guard, curious…

Subaru… didn't like the thought he'd be gone…

Seishirou cleared his throat and turned on his side to face him. Half-lidded, he locked eyes with Subaru. Subaru meekly stared back. Mesmorized.

"The adults of a nearby settlement came to me and begged for help for their sick children," Seishirou explained. The quirk of his lips recounted a fond memory. "They asked me to help them with the treatment. However... donations have been tight recently. I can't pay for expensive medicines." The fondness in his voice was replaced by regret. "So, I thought if I took one or two items, no one would notice. Vampire homes are spread out and this was one of the closest. I thought all of you had left… I was wrong. I knew it was foolish, but I didn't have another option that would work in time." He shook his head and sighed. "I shouldn't make myself look even more a fool to you than I already am."

Subaru had no reason to believe him. He might have been a liar and covered it up well for all he knew. All the same, he did not detect ill-will or malicious intent from the older man. Seishirou's aura did not exude an air of over confidence or sinister anticipation.

Swallowing thickly, he glanced sideways. "I think… humans are commendable when they're trying their best to do something they really care about…"

"Is that so?" Seishirou's head tilted thoughtfully.

A human dedicated to their fellow humans did not deserve to die. But the only option that Subaru could muster and pull off was beyond the scope of his position. Gifting life-saving blood to a human was the ultimate sacrifice from a vampire, because the offer was the stuff of legends, something within reach but far too ludicrous to put into action unless the right magnitude of circumstances arose.

Subaru considered this to be the right circumstances.

Before he caught himself, Subaru pulled aside the fluffy cuff of his sleeve, twisting it above his wrist. The pale, unblemished skin looked even less in the dim light. Subaru didn't notice, although it was rare that he found himself cutting his own skin for any reason. He extended a claw and scraped the fragile veins and skin until beads of blood dripped down and painted it red. He gingerly held out his arm to Seishirou as an offering. He chased away any building worry or acknowledgement that this may be awkward or viciously denied by his brother.

"Drink," Subaru said, voice extra soft.

Expression cloudy, Seishirou's eyes creaked open further. He looked towards the metallic scent. He was a human and blood wasn't as potent to him—still, he was draw it to it like moth to flame. Vampiric blood was even stronger in scent than humans, and Subaru was oddly impressed he caught whiff of it. Shocked, Seishirou frowned as if he failed to grasp the meaning. He focused on the stretched out limb.

"That would be an inconvenience. And quite unusual wouldn't it?" Seishirou asked. "For a vampire to give blood to a lowly E. Some things aren't done, dear Subaru-kun. For you to break the rules for me…"

Subaru shifted uncomfortably. Seishirou's eyes suddenly focused on him like a hawk's, face alert. The situation was dire and that responsiveness, for Subaru, was the epitome of peace and fascination. He shouldn't… yet he did with all the sin in the world. Was it a sin, anyway? Is that what the priest would call his driving need to help him out of good faith?

Seishirou's hand raised, slowly. Seishirou's heart racing faster at the motion. Subaru heard the heart's increase and wondered what that actually meant. He glanced to the side and didn't know what Seishirou intended. Seishirou placed his long, calloused fingers around his wrist. Jumping at the contact, Subaru felt ridiculous for leaping to conclusions.

"Means you really are too kind," Seishirou finished, smiling for the first time. It wasn't a forced smile, but Subaru noticed that it was sunny, genuine even, not the least bit pleading. "But if I get the chance, I do want to live. Continue my work. As selfishly as it might be to ask a thing of you after my deeds."

In a way, Subaru supposed he was too. He didn't want this man to die. He wanted his heart to keep beating. He wanted him to keep smiling just the way he was smiling at him. He didn't want that ever fade, even if he should take a human's faults seriously and let death be his punishment for the crime.

"Selfish…" Subaru repeated, stunned. His face remained neutral but the wheels in his head grinded forward, rusty, seeking out truth. What did selfish mean, exactly? Did it mean vampires and E had something relatable, a trait deep within them?

The realization was too much to bear.

Subaru sucked in a deep breath. Waiting any longer would be detrimental to his health. Subaru wouldn't allow that. "You will always need my blood—"

Seishirou wasn't listening to the conversation anymore. He fell back against the treasure under him and the gold under his head lightly clanked under the motion. He chuckled carelessly, shaking his head solemnly. The severity of those words and their context went over his consciousness, his warm grip on Subaru's wrist weakening as he steadily bled and the poison worked in his circulation.

Subaru's heart beat a little faster in rhythm with Seishirou's. Yes, he knew what he had to do.

Tentatively, Subaru cupped Seishirou behind the head. The spiky tresses tickled his skin, and Seishirou leaned into his touch, not bothering to say anything in his stupor. Subaru propped Seishirou up against him and raised his bleeding arm to his mouth. He coaxed his mouth open and let the blood droplets speckle his teeth and tongue one at a time. He squeezed the rich blood every time his wound threatened to heal before the feeding was over.

The warning had not been heard. Certain… issues arose after humans drank vampire blood. It could not be reversed. This issue would lead to many complications. Subaru was not dim-witted to the suffering he may cause with this, but Seishirou's words continued to ring in his ears, _I do want to live_. Those words were enough to fuel him and make himself feel like offering him blood wasn't a waste.

He was dedicated to helping him later with whatever may be necessary. He was just that kind of vampire.

Instantly, the wounds along Seishirou's torso stitched themselves up prettily, the scars disappearing without a single line. Seishirou, possibly subconsciously, lapped the vampire blood into his mouth and drank it more easily. Once the wounds were totally removed and his discomfort finally subsided, Subaru lift his arm away. The pounding of Seishirou's blood calmed down under the waves of Subaru's healing blood. The venom all but disappeared. Seishirou was completely healed.

Seishirou didn't speak. His face was serene, and Subaru caught onto the fact that he had fainted. Subaru scooted a little closer and rested Seishirou's head in his lap. Subaru traced his hair once, twice, smoothing the spikes out. He did not want to move from the spot and tear himself away from the strange man. Honestly, he didn't know what would happen here on out. For the time being, he was happy to find someone that seemed as nice as Seishirou. He would watch over him until he opened his eyes.


End file.
